Background on Public Records Requests
Pursuant to the Wisconsin Public Records Law, Wis. Stat. §§ 19.31 to 19.39, members of the public can inspect or obtain copies of public records maintained by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), with certain exceptions under state and federal law.
DPI collects and maintains data about education in the State of Wisconsin required for state and federal reporting, including student data, school finance data, teacher licensing data, school performance data, and agency data.
Data Available Publicly
Public data on many topics is already available on DPI’s website or on WISEdash, our public reporting portal. This public data includes non-identifying data about students; scholastic resources; performance reports/profiles; charter/private schools; and public library data. The following list contains links to frequently-requested, public data:
- Directories
- District Contact Lists
- Public School and District Staff Reports (2016-17 and later)
- WISEdash annual download files (contains information about enrollment, attendance, test performance, discipline, high school graduation, dropouts, and postsecondary enrollment)
- School and District Report Cards and statewide download files
- School District Finance Data
- Private School Choice Program Aid Reports
- Statewide School Referenda Reports
- GIS Mapping Data
- Wisconsin Public Library Service Data
- For a complete list of available public data resources, please visit WISEdash Support - Resources
GED/HSED Transcripts and Credentials
If you are looking for a copy of a Certificate of General Educational Development (GED) or High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED), those are available online through the department’s website.
Public Records Requests
Is the record/data you are seeking not covered above? Please complete DPI’s Public Records Request form. In accordance with Wisconsin’s Public Records Law, DPI processes requests in the order in which they are received and “as soon as practicable and without delay”.